Letters to the Editor

Regarding “McChesney Says
Accused Priests Need Work” (Dec. 10-16): Kathleen McChesney’s
suggestion that priests removed from ministry because of child-abuse
accusations be given some kind of work in the Church has a feel-good sound but,
in most situations, would be an impossible dream. How much church work can
there be without some form of public contact? How many priests are going to
find fulfillment running a copy machine? If their guilt is not clear, it is not
clear to me and perhaps many other people that not nearly enough is being done
to resolve the situation.

It was a joy to me to see that some accused priests
in England, suspended only on suspicion, are rising up to demand due process —
which, as they point out, is their right under both civil and canon law.
Bishops would probably reply that their first responsibility is victim
protection, but precautions need not always interfere with resolving guilt or
innocence.

There is, I believe, an inordinate fear of trials.
Consider the many years-old cases. Believe it or not, there are people evil
enough to pick the Church’s “deep” pockets.

I was surprised to see McChesney’s
suggestion that false reporting of sexual abuse by children is very rare. She
worked for the FBI, but I worked directly with children. I saw and learned of
numerous cases where children gave damaging information to police because of
improper questioning that played upon children’s suggestibility, resulting in
improper convictions. Los Angeles
courts had to re-try numerous cases from years back not long ago, resulting in
releasing many falsely accused people from prison. It was a major court scandal
out West.

Justice demands due process for those who might be
falsely accused, both at the Church and civil levels. It is just simple
justice. The Church should not fear to handle these cases because of the
publicity. That damage has been done.

If one is really innocent, a trial may not even be
necessary. The district attorney simply will not file charges if evidence is
absent. If innocence is proven through the court process, everyone wins and
people will see justice in practice.

Joseph Callagher

Shingle Springs, California

Father Vakoc’s Progress

I was so happy to read that Father Timothy Vakoc, the seriously wounded military chaplain, is
beginning to speak (“Priest Injured in Iraq Begins Speaking,” Media Watch,
Nov. 26 - Dec. 2). I hope and pray that he recovers enough to be able to offer
the holy Sacrifice of the Mass once again.

I have been praying for him since your article
reporting his injury in Iraq
about three years ago. His picture was on the front page with an update once
after that.

Recently I have been asking the Servant of God,
Father Vincent Capodanno, to intercede for him, our
military leaders, our chaplains. Perhaps Father Timothy will be “the miracle”
for Father Capodanno’s beatification.

I treasure your fine publication. Keep up the “good
news.”

Bernadette Schoenherr

Rochester, New York

Thank You, Dr. Morse

Jennifer Roback-Morse sure hit a home run with “Give
Us Your Heart: an Open Letter to Immigrants” (Commentary & Opinion, Dec.
17-23). This column ought to be e-mailed to all U.S.
and Mexican cardinals and bishops, as well as the Vatican.

Our parents came here, legally, in the 1930s and
did just what the headline asks. They worked in low pay/hard work jobs such as
meatpacking and farming, and they attended English and citizenship classes at
night. In short, they integrated into the melting pot we call “America” while
maintaining their own ethnic cultures.

It is not easy for a Slav to learn English, just as
it is not easy for English-speaking peoples to pronounce Slavic names!

Thank you for speaking up for us, Dr. Morse.

John S Szulecki Sr.

West Milford, New Jersey

What Henry Inherited

You let Mr. Samuel P. Di Muzio get away with blaming Henry Kissinger for the deaths
of U.S. troops and millions
of civilians in Vietnam
(“Kissinger Kiss-Off,” Letters, Dec. 17-23).

President Eisenhower sent in the original U.S.
advisers, President Kennedy reinforced them and President Johnson initiated
direct involvement of U.S. combat formations in the Vietnam War long before
Kissinger was senior enough to run a coffee pot in the State Department.

Even the most casual observer of that period in our
history should be aware of the disconnect between Di Muzio’s words and reality. Henry Kissinger became the
national security adviser in 1969.

When he took the post of secretary of state in 1973,
his diplomatic efforts speeded the end of our direct involvement in the war.

Mr. Di Muzio
seems to believe that opposing tyranny is always bad if it means people will
get hurt.

Your editorial note should have corrected the record
rather than merely dispelled any notion that Kissinger is officially a Vatican adviser.

James Kevin
Richardson

El Paso, Texas

Rosary Redux

Regarding “How (and Why) To Pray” (Dec. 17-23):

The clip-out section on the Rosary omits the Creed
and the prayers on the first four beads. Or have I been praying the Rosary
wrong for 55 years?

Bob Penzkover

Rock Springs, Wisconsin

Editor’s note: Our explanation of the Rosary is based on Pope John Paul II’s suggestions in his 2002 apostolic letter on the
Rosary, Rosarium Virginis Mariae. Space did not permit us to add the excellent
custom of the introductory prayers, which many Catholics follow.

Vote Your Connection

We could minimize porn on the Internet if decent,
well-meaning commercial Web servers would refuse to accept subscribers who
intend to use their Web sites for pornography (“Scorn for Porn,” Dec. 17-23).

My Web server used to be Earthlink.
When I found out that they accepted such subscribers without blinking an eye, I
searched for a better one and found AOL. When you sign up with them, you have
to promise not to use your Web site for pornography or other anti-social
activities. They will cancel your subscription immediately if you renege on
your promise.

The Register may want to do a survey of the leading
Internet service providers and then publish the results, encouraging readers to
patronize only the “clean” ones.

Josephine Harkay

Jamaica, New York

Fractured Morals?

That was quite an interview with Adriano Moraes, the “Cowboy of God,” in “World Champion Bull Rider
Is ‘Cowboy of God’” (Inperson, Nov. 19-25).

We need more of his kind who boldly live their faith
so publicly and so well. But he’s suffered at least 21 broken bones so far. How
many more of those will it take before a moral theologian steps in to say “Enough
is enough — this is an immoral sport”?

Father Cormac Antram, OFM

St. John
Catholic Church

Tekakwitha
Mission

Houck, Arizona

Steven Greydanus responds: It was on the basis of Shroud of Turin studies by Catholic
forensic pathologist and well-known Shroud expert Dr. Fred Zugibe
that I made my comments. Dr. Zugibe has commented to
me more than once, in formal interviews and informal conversations, that the
violence in The Passion of the Christ
is far in excess of what the Shroud supports, not to mention what the human
body can physically endure. The late Dr. Barbet never saw Gibson’s Passion and has not specifically
addressed this question. Roman soldiers were cruel but they knew their
business. It is highly unlikely that, if charged with beating a man and letting
him go, they would inflict such violence as to kill any mortal man many times
over. Artistically, the exaggerated violence in The Passion can be taken to represent the inexpressible sufferings
of Our Lord, which defy all merely human experience. In literal fact, though,
modern Hollywood violence exceeds even the cruelty of ancient Rome.

Artistic vs. Actual

Regarding “Mel Makes a Spectacle of Suffering” (Dec.
10-16):

Steven Greydanus is
factually incorrect when he states in his review of Apocalypto that Mel Gibson
exaggerated the scourging of Our Lord in The
Passion of the Christ.

In fact, as bloody and horrendous as the scene was,
Gibson did not show anywhere near the actual torture that the scourging and the
crowning of thorns inflicted. I refer Mr. Greydanus
to A Doctor Looks at Calvary by
Pierre Barbet and to recent studies on the Shroud of Turin that give an
accurate picture of how much more horrific the physical pain actually was.

There was not one inch of Christ’s body that did not
bleed or bruise. The pain of the crown of thorns was excruciating to a degree
of the most unbearable pain. No, if anything, Mel Gibson’s movie underplayed
the pain Christ endured — a thought that should give us pause.

Ellen A. Carney

Bronxville, New
York

Corrections

In “Experts Spar Over Practical, Theological Advice
to Bishops” (Dec. 24 - Jan. 6), we referred to “Ave Maria University Law
School.” The correct name of the institution is Ave Maria School of Law. The
school is not part of a university. We regret the error.

Also: “Advent Woman - Bringing Hope and Comfort
Throughout the Year” (Dec. 10-16) gave an incorrect number for the In The Arms
of Mary Foundation. The correct number is (800) 451-1321.

Comments

Join the Discussion

We encourage a lively and honest discussion of our content. We ask that charity guide your words.
By submitting this form, you are agreeing to our discussion guidelines.
Comments are published at our discretion. We won’t publish comments that lack charity, are off topic, or are more than 400 words.
Thank you for keeping this forum thoughtful and respectful.